System and method for extending cloud services into the customer premise

Abstract

A cloud extension agent can be provided on a customer premise for interfacing, via an outbound secure connection, cloud based services. The cloud extension agent can reach the cloud based services through existing firewall infrastructure, thereby providing simple, secure deployment. Furthermore, the secure connection can enable substantially real-time communication with a cloud service to provide web-based, substantially real time control or management of resources on the customer premises via the cloud extension agent.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for providing cloud-based network management services comprising:
 providing at least one cloud extension agent that facilitates cloud-based management of corporate computing resources by execution on one or more computers that are part of a corporate network, the corporate network being separated from the Internet by at least one firewall, the firewall operating independently of the cloud extension agent, wherein each cloud extension agent is configured to:
 initiate a secure network connection to a cloud-based management platform, which comprises at least one remote data center, outbound through the firewall over the Internet using a standard internet protocol, 
 gather status information, from one or more local servers on the corporate network that manage a plurality of user devices that are authorized to remotely access resources on the corporate network, the status information including information regarding the compliance status of the plurality of user devices and the configuration status of one or more local servers, 
 report the status information to the cloud-based management platform via the secure network connection, 
 receive, from the cloud-based management platform via the secure network connection, a set of instructions created by the cloud-based management platform for management of the one or more local servers, and 
 make changes to the configuration of the one or more local servers in response to the set of instructions; 
 
 providing to an administrator, as part of the cloud-based management platform, a web-based portal that allows the administrator to request configuration changes to the one or more local servers; and 
 creating, at the cloud-based management platform, in response to configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal, the set of instructions to be sent to the at least one cloud extension agent via the secure network connection. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing, as part of the cloud-based management platform, a device management database that comprises a repository of the status information received from the at least one cloud extension agent. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending the set of instructions to the at least one cloud extension agent in substantially real time in response to the configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of sending the set of instructions further comprises sending the set of instructions using an XMPP protocol over the secure network connection. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web-based portal comprises a dashboard that allows the administrator to view status and policy information pertaining to the plurality of user devices in substantially real-time. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web-based portal allows the administrator to manage a plurality of policies for managing the plurality of user devices via the Internet. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web-based portal allows an administrator to remotely diagnose problems with one of the at least one cloud extension agent and the one or more local servers, via the Internet. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web-based portal allows an administrator to remotely upgrade the at least one cloud extension agent via the Internet. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web-based portal allows the administrator to publish network policies to the at least one cloud extension agent via the Internet. 
     
     
       10. A method for extending cloud services into the customer premise comprising:
 providing a cloud extension agent for execution on a computer that is part of a local network, the local network being separated from the Internet by at least one firewall that operates independently of the cloud extension agent, wherein the cloud extension agent is configured to:
 initiate a secure connection to a remote data-center over the Internet, outbound through the at least one firewall, using a standard internet protocol, 
 gather status information regarding compliance status of a plurality of user devices that are authorized to remotely access resources on the local network and the identity of users of the plurality of user devices 
 report, via the secure connection, the status information, 
 receive, via the secure connection, a set of instructions created at the remote data center for configuration of one or more local computing resources on the local network, and 
 change the configuration of the one or more local computing resources in response to the first set of instructions via an API exposed by the one or more local resources; and 
 
 providing to an administrator, as part of the remote data-center, a web-based portal that allows the administrator to request configuration changes to the one or more local computing resources; and 
 creating, at the remote data-center, in response to requested configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal, the set of instructions to be sent to the cloud extension agent via the secure connection. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 providing, as part of the remote data-center, a device management database that comprises a repository of the status information received from the cloud extension agent. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising sending the set of instructions to the cloud extension agent in substantially real time in response to the configuration changes initiated via the web-based portal. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of sending the set of instructions comprises sending the instructions using an XMPP protocol over the secure connection. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the web-based portal comprises a dashboard that allows the administrator to view status and policy information pertaining to the plurality of user devices in substantially real-time. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing, via the remote data center, a web-based portal that allows an administrator to manage a plurality of policies for managing the plurality of user devices via the Internet. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing, via the remote data center, a web-based portal that allows a user to remotely diagnose problems with one of the cloud extension agent and the one or more local resources, via the Internet. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 10 , further comprising providing, via the remote data center, a web-based portal that allows an administrator to publish network policies to the cloud extension agent via the Internet. 
     
     
       18. A method for providing cloud-based management of mobile devices comprising:
 providing, at one or more remote data centers, a web-based interface for management of policies for a first set of user devices that are authorized to remotely access resources in a corporate network; 
 maintaining, in a database associated with the one or more remote data centers, policy and configuration information related to the first set of user devices; 
 receiving status information reflecting the compliance status of one or more user devices in the first set of user devices, at the one or more remote data centers over the Internet via a first secure connection initiated by a first cloud extension agent, the first cloud extension agent being part of the corporate network and the first secure connection using a standard internet protocol; and 
 in response to policy changes initiated through the web-based interface, creating and sending control instructions over the first secure connection from the one or more remote data centers to the first cloud extension agent; 
 wherein the first cloud extension agent is configured to execute the control instructions to configure one or more servers on the corporate network. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 selectively presenting the status information to an administrator using the web-based interface. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving, over the Internet, a second secure connection initiated by a second cloud extension agent using the standard internet protocol, wherein the second cloud extension agent is part of the corporate network and is available in the event of failure of the first cloud extension agent.